I Cry Silently
by Chrissy Renee Pinto
Summary: Hear the sad story of Pandora, the young Master Cyclonis from the very beginning.After entering the Farside, Cyclonia seeks refuge in a dark and silent room. But she is not alone, the memories of her homeland haunt her and will not let her sleep.
1. Chapter 1

_DA/Cyclonis. A very sad story that I hope you will like. After losing her Terra, Cyclonis recalls her time with Dark Ace and her days at Cylonia._

I Cry Silently

The silence screams at her. Entangled are the voices of the past and they are mocking and angry. Some of the voices belong to the dead while others resemble the living, who could just as well be dead. She tries to shrink further into the cushions but its soft solidity will not allow her. She is still in the land of the living and unfortunately, only unearthly spirits are given the privilege of breaching the constraints of reality and allowed to flutter through the air; light, free and unrestrained. Arms are crossed tightly across her chest but she is really hugging herself. Find some warmth somewhere to feed the cold, yawing depths of her soul. She was once someone. Now she is a sad, pathetic creature in a silent room that scorns and derides her.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if the dreams did not come for her. Memories of another girl, who had little to worry about and much to learn. Memories of a somewhat carefree girl who could lose herself in her own world and no one would incessantly seek her out for one duty or the other.

The room is blanketed in darkness, the kind of imposing blackness that robbed from the light to spread its taint through the world. She couldn't put on the lamp. The darkness would go away but then, they would come. They were looking for her. It wanted her. They would grab her. Them would destroy her. So many people-all clamoring for their Master Cyclonis. The wraith like figure locked in a room with only the souless darkness for company and the ghosts of memories, nearly forgotten, clawing at her skull.

Eyes fall shut, one memory swallows her up. She let it because it is the only time she can see in color again.

Birthdays were as special on Cyclonia as on any other place. As the princess, I expected my day to be extra special. And why not? I am the heir to Cyclonia.

I ran into the throne room, expecting presents and attention. I was very disappointed to find my mother and grandmother engrossed in matters of the Kingdom. I waited, stood at the center of the throne room, eyes on the women. They didn't emerge from their conversation. I ran to the throne and jumped on my grandmother's lap to get her attention. The woman simply wrapped her arms around my lithe body, encompassing me in her cloak. "Happy Birthday, Pandora!"

Blue-grey eyes softened measurably and calloused fingers worked their best to impart a comforting touch. "What are we doing on my special day?" Gaze shifted from my grandmother to my mother. A childish grin flittered on my lips. Strange, even in the midst of excitement, as a young girl I could still appear somber. "I am sorry, Darling. But today is not a good time for a celebration."

The apology that entered my mother's voice and shadowed her features could be discerned as feigned. Sincerity was on my Grandmother's face, eclipsed with affection. The sharp edges of her face melted easing her hardened look and for a moment, a twinkle bought life to her eyes. Her thin fingers dry and calloused with age and crystal magic moved in consoling circles on my cold skin. A papery touch on winter-kissed skin. The heat was not calming.

"We are currently preoccupied with affairs of the empire." My mother stated and I was expected to understand. I didn't. It was my special day.

A frown scrunched my pretty features and I appeared on the verge of yelling in frustration. Contrarily, as the future Master Cyclonis, I was not inclined to do such a thing in the presence of refined women such as my Grandmother.. and mother. It would mark me as vulgar. So I settled for the false threat of a tantrum.

"Can father not escort me somewhere?" A subtle plea in the query. I was needy-No-desperate for a beloved family member to spend the day with me and look upon me with abject adoration in celebration. "Pandora, Your father is busy." I cringed at the sharp rebuke in my mother's tone.

Grandmother was more sympathetic, "It is unfortunate that such turbulent times should interfere with your ninth birthday. Sadly, it cannot be helped." She cups my cheek. "But there is no reason why you cannot have a birthday treat!" I perked up at that. Anything would be wonderful so long my day did not go without celebration.

Master Cyclonis' eyes sparkled, noting her granddaughter's budding excitement, "I shall have the Dark Ace take you to the zoo!" My shoulders slump. But for my Grandmother..I pretended happiness. "That would be great!" Fingers run through my hair, brushing the midnight strands away. "I wish I could be there for you, My Half Heart! But the obligations of duty are-cannot be avoided." My mother made a sound behind me, it sounded like a click of displeasure.

"Do try and have fun." Pulling me into a hug. I rested my head against my Grandmother's breast, listening to the steady thump of her heart that always had a soothing effect on me. People whispered, terrible gossip, that my Grandmother didn't have a heart; she was an empty shell running on misery and tears. I liked to think I was privy to a special secret.

Nevertheless though I tried- I was far from comforted. I seethed on anger and disappointment, hot and trembling through my body. I didn't give vent; it would be for another recipient to bear the brunt of it.

I hear a sound behind me and I knew it is him. The second time I had laid eyes on him, the champion of Cyclonia.

I never thought much of the Dark Ace; he did his job as the protector of Cyclonia reasonably well, but that hardly impressed me. "Babysitting." He repeated, vivid indignation colored his pale, narrow face an ugly shade. My fists clenched by my side. _Baby! How dare he! I was no baby._

"Yes." Grandmother said coolly, raised her hand to ward off any protests. "It is the Young Lady's birthday and you will be escorting her on a day to the zoo." In a tone that brooked no further argument. The older boy met my eyes, a sizzle of dislike passed between us. _Was he really so arrogant, did he think so little of me that he would bare his feelings so ungraciously!_

I wished my Grandmother would discipline or reprimand him for his treatment of me. Surely, she could see how he disrespected me.

"Make sure I have a good time! Will that be a problem?" My voice, as harsh and authoritative as I could make it. But its childish lilting quality still rang in my ears.

Sharp eyes narrowed to a concentrated glare. He eyes me, his burden-a small child; the frame of dark hair, pallid skin that gave me an unearthly aura and bright eyes that glinted in cunning intelligence.

The stare I met him with hinted at patronizing. He would tell me later that he was most disturbed by how surprisingly quiet, almost meditative I was for a child. Usually a trip to the zoo would have children screaming.

I made him feel odd and unsettled. I reminded him eerily of one of those horror movies with the children as the bloodthirsty villain. He found those movies funny. "Yes, your majesty!" He bowed low. There was no other acceptable answer. When her majesty turned to speak with me, Dark Ace shot me a sneer, a small victory. I caught it from the corner of my eye and when I returned my gaze to him, my own lips carried the faintest suggestion of my own mocking sneer and my eyes were bright and all-knowing. It had the desired effect. Dark Ace shifted uncomfortably on his feet. There was something about me that unnerved him. He let slip that he always thought of me as the Blair Witch Project. But I wouldn't know all of this until we grew closer a little later in our lives.

Until such time, there was mutual loathing-maybe just on my part. I doubted he could spell 'loathing' being the empty-headed talon he was, adept at only following orders.

_Sooo. What you think? Reviews mean I am loved and appreciated. If you want to know more about my thoughts on Pandora's childhood, just review._


	2. Chapter 2

**Hellooo! Sorry for taking so long, but I finally finished the second chapter! Thankk you sooo much Red Shadow Ranger for beta-ing my work. You are the best!**

A Cyclonian carrier without the noticeable markings was entrusted to take the pair to the zoo. I maintained a stony silence between us. It was appropriate. He may be Father's trusted soldier, standing a few steps below Grandmother's throne. I, however, considered him not worth my time, and I let him know with my own brand of aloof, patronizing glares.

A thin eyebrow rose. It was barely noticeable. It wasn't questioning, but it conveyed I received the message. I was very pleased with myself. However, a few minutes of the tense atmosphere, the loud rumble of the engines being the only sound, and it occurred to me that maybe Dark Ace preferred the silence. He wasn't known for being talkative, unless it was with father. Maybe he didn't want to talk to me

I pursed my lips into a thin line. The seconds were stretched thin between us. I made it a point to keep interaction with the soldiers to a minimum; their usefulness as sources of information and protection were the only thing that kept them in my vicinity.

This man was not useful to me. His function was a waste of my free time. If I couldn't have my father, Grandmother or mother by my side, then there was no point to the outing. Nevertheless, decorum dictated I accept my Grandmother's gift even if it is was-worthless. 'A day at the zoo.' What does she expect me to do there? Make friends with inferior life forms. Clearly, she must have mistaken my interest for the outing. I do not want to spend time with some stupid animals-one of them being the Dark Ace.

In the middle of the journey, Dark Ace began to throw surreptitious glances in my direction.

He stopped on recognizing the expression on my face. Stormy and annoyed, growing by the second, as if fed from some internal source. My anger at being denied my family's time was a heavy ball nestled inside my stomach. I could complain to the Dark Ace, but I was sort of familiar with his personality to know what he would say. 'Silly girl! Did you honestly expect the rulers of Cyclonia to drop everything for you, a wilful child?'

He absorbed my passing snide glance, looked unsure for a second before a blank mask swallowed his sharp features.

I returned to maintaining my stoic, aloof demeanour. I wonder if he thought of me as a minor challenge. One more challenge to overcome to be known as the greatest. He should beware of the fact that the talons gave me due deference because I commanded it, not because their show of respect was an obligation, -and he would soon be acquainted with the cruel methods through which I achieved it.

Terra Zoolodge had magnificent animals. Creatures with an IQ lower than the borderline that separated a human-like species from animals.

"Foolish, ridiculous creatures!" Dark Ace muttered under his breath but loud enough for me to hear. A scornful tint to his red-faced glower. Clearly, he was unhappy with the blazing sun. I wondered why he cared. It wasn't like the animals dwelled on the opinion of humans, at least not in a way I understood.

We entered the place and started our trek down a path. Cages were arranged on either side of us. Some of the animals peered at me from behind the bars of their individual habitat, their round eyes empty and listless. Others ignored the crowds to feast on food from the floor.

Dark Ace must be used to moving swiftly to other places because the rapid movement of his legs meant he walked faster than me. I scurried on my small feet to keep up; my head barely reached his knees. "Can I trust you to stay by my side?" He questioned with understated laughter in his voice. I gave him a cold stare for his impudence. I hated it when people brought up my shortcomings especially when it was someone who I deemed unworthy. My eyes regarded him with icy, cool and the barest hint of condescension. The corner of my mouth flittered upwards.

"I should ask you that question. It is your duty to stay by my side. The task is simple-allow me to have a good time on my birthday. So far the only thing you have done is dragged me on a speed walk. If that is the extent of your usefulness, then the fate of Cyclonia is in jeopardy." I replied.

He halted and turned, giving me the full brunt of a simmering glare. A smile simply quirked my mouth.

On other little girls, any smile would appear endearing. On me, it had the opposite effect. I had perfected a sort of twisted creepiness that was only heightened when I shed the grim shadows to smile.

"Fine." He groused, a dark frown etched into his forehead and hinted at being permanent. I had upset him. His mood was of no consequence to me. It was necessary for adults like him who dared to underestimate me.

Just because I was under his care and of a very young age, did not mean he could openly be rude to me. In the presence of Grandmamma, he wouldn't dare!

"What would you like to see first?" The sharp edges of his face appeared more prominent and his shark-like teeth were exposed like the fangs of a predator.

A shiver went down my spine but I remained resolute in portraying a strong, unaffected front. A princess of Cyclonia, since she is able to wear a thread of gold, learns how disadvantageous weakness is.

We stare each other down, eyes mutually hard and unforgiving.

My face is stern in displeasure and conveyed plainly my opinion of him-a mere annoyance. Seeing I am obstinate against relenting and realizing his lesser position, he capitulated. "What do you want to see?" He repeated the question but in a sobered, almost conciliatory tone. Clearly he understood he wasn't going to get anywhere by being boorish with me.

Her face relaxes until it is impassive and lips are pursed in contemplative thought. Her eyes roamed the surroundings, browsing the signs and noting the animals trapped in their enclosures. She raised her arm to point a finger to her right. The sign read hippolamus. He nodded, straightened his back and marched forward at a leisurely pace. I could keep instep and walk next to him.

"The hippolamus is usually found on terra aqua, where its deep lakes immerse its huge body. Its long neck has to be always kept above a foot from the water surface to avoid the feeling of drowning." In gruff monotone, Dark Ace read from the pamphlet attached to the cage.

"What does he eat?" I queried.

"Little girls!" Dark Ace quipped, the slash of his mouth curving slightly.

A small brow arched in mild reproach, "Was that meant to be a joke? Do you often attempt comedy in your line of work?"

"Yes, and it kills the crowd every time." Dark Ace replied.

"Then, am I correct to assume your battle prowess I have heard so much about is merely a rumour?" A smile surfaced on my pale face, despite the utterance of the cool words in a mocking undertone. The boy laughed and it sounded genuinely happy.

I felt a blush crawl over my cheeks. Other people casually set their eyes upon me. I didn't like it. I wasn't used to having eyes on me before, eyes of strangers who openly gawked, not caring for decorum or knowing of the respect they should have for me –unlike loyal Cyclonians.

"Lively and demanding. Qualities of a Master. Family must be so proud." Dark Ace stated airily, heaving a harsh sigh "Makes my job a little more difficult"

"That creature doesn't appear very happy!"

I studied the lines of obvious sorrow on the occupant of the current cage. Eyes dull and vacant. Flesh taut and rubbery over a hard, protruding skeleton. Lifeless sadness hung on its features.

Dark Ace snorted pitilessly at the visible display of what he considered weakness. "He was caught. Dumb or careless. Consequently, he paid with his freedom. It is the way of the world." A contemptuous sneer played on the words so they are cold and cutting. I perked my ears because I understood the meaning not so carefully obscured in the vicious speech.

They are also devoid of remorse for placing such a terrible reality in front of a child. "Does a similar fate befall captured Cyclonians?" I queried woodenly; nothing belied the child-like worry that swelled in my chest.

"Yes." It dropped from his lips like a rock into a cavernous well. The impact couldn't be heard but surely, it would have some ripple effect.

"No one is capable of sufficiently protecting me. I have to protect myself first."

He could easily say otherwise. Offer a small grain of solace to the unhappy girl trapped in a dangerous world. But he was the Dark Ace and he offered nothing except to the ruling family of Cyclonia. I deserved no such recognition. The way my insolent tongue provoked such irritation and frustration inside him. It gave him a small amount of satisfaction to crush a little of my childhood innocence.

When he spoke again, it was in a direct mater-of-fact voice, echoing a cruel degree of cold warning, "No! A princess of Cyclonia either learns to protect herself or be reduced to mere dust by the numerous enemies gunning for her demise."

He saw it roll over my face. It was purely unintentional. The first of many times when he will recognize the presence of it. An uncharacteristic, weak child-like vulnerability, shadowed by shapes of anxiousness and fear. I forced my wide eyes to return to the animal and changed my gaze to a thoughtful angle. I pondered silently the very few stark differences between my potential captured state and that of the animals.

The creatures appeared to have been bequeathed some mercy, a future Master Cyclonis-not very likely. Dark Ace can guess the essence of my thoughts. I was privately brooding as we visited the next few cages. And as for the Dark Ace, the sadistic part of him took great pleasure in my misfortune. After all, he was supposed to be 'teaching' the young lass as she advanced to maturity. A devious quirk to his brow, a suggestion of a wicked edge to his countenance. If I continued to be irksome, doubtless he had other lessons I would have to learn the hard way.

I can discern from his tightly compressed lips and the evil luminosity of his eyes that he feels the desire to laugh at my carefully hidden pitiful state filling the hollow crevices of my body. For some reason, he chooses not to indulge his cruelty. Perhaps he is looking forward for a better opportunity for me to sample it, ruler or not.

I force my mind to awaken from the memory. The day at the zoo, children always remember a happy time. As I stare out into the darkness, all I can hear is the echo of a warning. Even the warning wasn't enough to avert my fate. I shut my eyes, but the rancorous, mocking darkness appears to have taken residence behind my eyelids.

Maybe Dark Ace's intention that day was more than petty revenge. He was trying to be loyal in his own warped manner. By spoon feeding the little girl a taste of the cruelty, he thought he was contributing to the training of a powerful Master, capable of gaining control over all of Atmosia.

The alternate fate frightened me more than I dared show. I was made aware of the consequences of failure, but the lessons from my Grandmother and father compared to the one proffered by the Dark Ace bore a stark difference.

I brushed a lock of dark hair to behind my ear. The burning sun invoked beads of sweat on my brow. The fear gnawed at my insides played all sorts of internal havoc on my body. Muscles were in a constant state of tension, uneasiness filtered out from every pore of my body and morbid thoughts whirled in my head. I couldn't focus on the contents of my surroundings. I saw cages, but they were filled with misshapen and distorted colours. My mind plastered the similar morose expression on all the creatures. Everywhere I looked; there was a wretched reminder of the cost of failure.

My skills as a crystal mage were progressing well. I had exceeded expectations on numerous fronts, but was it enough? Could I win the war? Grandmother didn't freely bestow praises. The best I could receive was a nod of approval or the barest suggestion of a smile on thin, grey lips. Now-a-days, with the weight of the kingdom stacked on her shoulders, Atmos attacking and plundering from Cyclonia instead of the other way around as it should be, the nods and the imperceptible grins were exceedingly becoming a rarity.

'I want Grandmother to smile at me again!' The thought was so absurd and inconsequential that I would recall it for many years for what it was. A child's hopeless dream.

Until the day tragedy made the promise of Grandmother's smile impossible, I was a growing adult who believed I could change the concrete contours of my Grandmother's face.

Sorry, I am digressing….

The death of my Grandmother did pierce me greatly. On Cyclonia, grieving with sadness and tears is thought very little of. Tears cannot wash away the person's sins. Sadness requires feeling and Cyclonians invest so much effort into appearing impervious. Why waste it? There was only one way to grieve, revenge.

Yes. Revenge also procured respect. It was engraved as a jewel on Cyclonia's crown.

Dark Ace knew of this. Yet he had grown complacent. In the presence of one so young.

'She is awfully quiet. Good. I prefer her that way.' I surreptitiously read his thoughts by noting the emotions surfacing on his narrow face in abrupt intervals. The flicker of animation belies the obscene joy he takes in my misery. Surprising, the anger that knotted my chest was not as tight as I would have imagined. Perhaps as I knew internally that I could so easily make him pay for upsetting me.

We arrived at an enclosure. My glazed eyes cleared of their melancholy sheen could perceive the next unfortunate animal. A sudden impish desire gripped my heart and my breath hitched at the novelty of the idea.

I could demand the Dark Ace rescue some poor animal from the confines of their cell. The result would give me a small amount of satisfaction.

**Sooo what do u think? reviews are sooo welcome! Thankies**


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